Slicked Up to the Nines
by Muinthil
Summary: REVISED! Follows the movie and WW2 history! The tale of two cousin's during World War Two Germany and their interactions with the Swing Kids. Follow as they go through the war and the impact it has on their lives! PeterOC, ThomacOC
1. Chapter One

**Attention: I have revised and edited the whole story and have posted the new and improved version of Slicked up to the Nines! Some things have changed, others have stayed the same and some have simply just been explained a bit better. After an unfortunate relapse in health (I'm feeling much better now) the story is back on track…expect the new chapter soon (I'm actually working on it right now as we speak). Enjoy the story!!!**

**Pannychan**

**Disclaimer: We own NOTHING!!!! We really wished we owned Peter and Thomas but that's what dreams are for. However, we do own Charlie and Lorelei. They are our own creations from our insane mind!**

**Please let us know what you think of our new story, concerning the movie Swing Kids! It follows the movie timeline and will actually go past that and follow true History of WW2. Cause one of us actually happens to be a history major and I can finally put my homework and learning to good use.**

Slicked Up to the Nines

Chapter One

"Ouch!" Lorelei gasped as the paper sliced her finger. She had been wrapping books in the brown delivery paper for the past thirty minutes and that was her second paper cut. Who thought that working in her father's bookstore would be so dangerous?! Of course, it had been rather distracting these last month, making it harder to focus on the tasks Lorelei's father had entrusted her with at their antique and book store.

"Good morning, Lorelei." Peter Mueller grinned, leaning on the desk. Lorelei looked up surprised to see Peter standing there. She hadn't heard the bell ring, announcing that someone had entered.

"Hello Peter! I didn't know that you were coming in today." She grinned, the pain in her finger forgotten "I figured you might be too busy lately, with all the fun you _boys_ must be having?"

"I told your father yesterday. I guess he didn't mention it." Peter shrugged; ignoring what he knew was an attempt to pry information from him. Regardless of that fact he really was looking for the owner of the store but it seemed like Herr Schumler was out. "Are you running the store by yourself?"

"No, my cousin is in the back. Dad had to run an errand but he should be back later this afternoon." Lorelei said finishing up the book she was working on. Peter nodded, unsure about how to continue. No one knew the exact details, but there was more than one reason as to why Lorelei had been so distant from the group. The recent death of one of their family members had hit them hard…and brought some new changes. One of these was the arrival of Herr Schumlers' newly orphaned niece.

"How have you been? None of us have seen you in a long time." He asked. The group had been worried about her since she stopped coming to the swing clubs and had been avoiding them at school. They had all tried to approach her at one point but she had made it clear that the subject would never be discussed.

"I'm fine, Peter." She sighed, knowing where the conversation was going. "You don't need to worry about me. It's not like it was a serious relationship anyway…at least not to him." Ever since she found Thomas cheating on her a little over a month ago, she had avoided the whole group altogether. There was no way she would ever hang around the boys now. And even worse, so that Thomas himself would realize how much their breakup really hurt? There was no way she would _ever _admit to that.

"You should try talking to him." Peter suggested. In honest, Thomas had been trying to get in contact with Lorelei but she refused to see him. "You dated for a year. I would call that pretty serious. Besides are you going to let a misunderstanding ruin it for you both?"

"There's nothing to talk about." She stated, looking at Peter square in the eye. Just then a girl walked out from the back room, carrying a stack of books. "He made it pretty clear as to what he thinks about our year together."

"These need to be sent out with the rest." Lorelei's cousin said setting them down next to the ones that had just been wrapped. Lorelei gave the new pile a dirty look. Sure she wanted to avoid the conversation about Thomas but not with more work.

"Charlie, I'd like you to meet Peter Mueller. Peter, this is my cousin Charlie." Lorelei said, introducing the two, as she started to wrap the new stack of books.

"It's nice to meet you." Charlie smiled, shaking Peter's hand.

"Likewise," Peter grinned. "Charlie's a strange name for a girl." He remarked, but then mentally kicked himself for the insulting comment.

"It's short for Charlotte." Lorelei spoke up. "But don't call her that!" Charlie shot her a glare, which sent her back to wrapping the books so Peter could deliver them.

"Well I need to get back to work. It was nice to meet you." She said and went back to the back room where she was filling out the paperwork that her uncle had neglected to do earlier that morning.

"So how long is she staying with you?" Peter asked, turning back to Lorelei. She immediately noticed how transfixed he seemed with her cousin. He was still staring towards the door despite the fact that she had already walked towards the back room and was no longer visible.

"Permanently, I suppose. She arrived from Munich last weekend. "Her father" She coughed before continuing "my uncle was executed two months ago for helping some Jews escape the country." She replied. Charlie's father has been smuggling Jews across the borders into Switzerland but he was caught and was executed, leaving his daughter orphaned. After several weeks of being watched, she was finally allowed to move to Hamburg to live with her uncle and his family.

"I'm sorry Lor. We had no clue."

"It's alright Peter. It's not like I publicized it or put it in the newspaper. Thanks though."

"So are you going to be at the Café Bismarck on Saturday?" Peter asked, quickly changing the topic. He could relate with Charlie's story, since his father was arrested for protesting the dismissal of the Jewish professors at the University. He wasn't executed but died shortly after being released from a work camp.

"It's not that I don't want to go, Peter..." she sighed.

"Then why not? Is it Thomas?" he asked. "You don't have to talk to him, if you don't want to."

"I know." She said. And she did know that she could easily avoid talking to him but just seeing him hurt. Besides, Lorelei knew exactly where tonight would be headed. Either she would be subjected to seeing him with another girl or Thomas would stubbornly follow her around the Bismarck until she finally relented to hear his "side" of the story.

"Please come. You can bring Charlie with you too. It'll be fun. You need to get out, Lor." Lorelei studied him for a second then a grin slowly spread across her face. "And what about your cousin? We could show her the sights and sounds of the city since she lives in Hamburg now. How does that sound?"

"You like her, don't you?" she guessed. "You like Charlie!!"

"I don't even know her." Peter denied, but in reality he found her to be very attractive.

"What about Evey? Have you finally given up on that snooty faust?" Lorelei teased. Peter had had his eyes set on Evey for the past couple of months but never really made an attempt to go talk to her. This was fine by Lorelei because she couldn't stand the girl. Her and her friends always thought and acted like they were better then everyone else, especially the Swing Kids.

"There was nothing going on with Evey, you know that. She never gave me a second look." Peter shrugged. He wasn't that heartbroken over it. She just wasn't the girl he was meant to be with. What Peter needed was a girl who loved swing and was independent. As far as he knew, Evey wasn't like that. Her and her friends followed the crowd, conforming to societies standards.

"So now you set your sights on my cousin. Honestly, I think you would be good for her." Lorelei admitted. She could see the two of them together. Charlie was one of the most caring people she knew but she also stuck to her beliefs. "We'll be there on Saturday but you make it known that I am not talking to him."

"Don't worry. I'll try and make sure he won't bother you." Peter assured her.

"Ok well you better get these delivered before father comes back." Lorelei said, handing him the stack of books. "I'll see you on Saturday."

She watched him head out and couldn't help but wish things were back like they used to be, with Thomas being her boyfriend and all of them hanging out at Arvid's hot club. But it's useless to dwell on the past. With that in mind, Lorelei headed into the back to tell Charlie of Saturday's plans and to find out what she though of Peter.

**Next Chapter**: **It's a reunion at the Bismarck! But how will it end up?**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: **

**For disclaimer please look at chapter 1**

"I am so excited you came with me! We're going to have so much fun!" Lorelei exclaimed as her and Charlie walked into the Bismarck. Her excitement over returning to the Bismarck replaced any odd feelings about seeing Thomas tonight. The music was blaring and the dance floor was crowded with people jumping and dancing all over the place. Charlie's jaw dropped at the sight of girl's being flipped and the couples doing all sorts of twists and turns.

"I can't do that." She stated, watching the crowd with wide eyes. Charlie was just a normal girl from Munich who enjoyed long walks and reading. At this moment she wondered, was this a good moment to tell Lorelei that she was a terrible dancer? Glancing over to her cousin, Charlie noticed that Lorelei strolled in as if she owned the Bismarck. Many glanced in her direction either admiringly or enviously but she didn't seem to notice or care. Lorelei was as graceful as Aunt Gretchen and as confident as Uncle Carl. And Charlie felt, especially standing next to Lor, that she lacked both of those things.

"It isn't as hard as it looks. All the girl has to do is follow." Lorelei explained, grabbing her cousin by the hand. "Look there's Peter." She led the way through the crowd to the table where Peter was sitting with Arvid and Otto.

"You made it!" Peter grinned as the girl's approached. "Guys, this is Lorelei's cousin, Charlie. Charlie, this is Arvid and Otto." The boys greeted her and Lorelei plopped down in the seat between them.

"Strange name for a girl." Both Otto and Arvid were looking at her curiously, wondering where this cousin that no one knew about come from and why she had such a strange name. It felt odd knowing someone for over a year and just discovering something new about them. Then again, Lorelei Schumler had been missing in action for awhile now and her absence had been sorely missed by the both of them. Anything could've happened the last couple of weeks to have her cousin arrive and they were wondering what it was.

Ignoring the look of death she knew would come soon Lorelei replied, "Its short for Charlotte. Man I missed this place!" she quickly added, looking around the room, spotting several familiar faces.

"It's about time you came back! It's been weeks since we've last seen you." Arvid said.

"Well you can thank Thomas for that." She replied curtly. Another reminder of Thomas Berger. Couldn't they leave the subject and anything close to it in the past? Maybe coming to the Bismarck wasn't such a good idea. But at least she could smile knowing that if Peter did his job and told Thomas to get lost, they wouldn't have to bump into each other.

"Thank me for what?" Thomas asked coming up to the table. He had been out on the dance floor when the girl's had arrived. Lorelei's smiled faded away as she glared at her ex-boyfriend.

"Peter what did we talk about earlier?" she asked, turning away from Thomas.

"Lor, maybe you should just talk to him. Either that or ignore him so we all can have a good time." Peter replied. He had told Thomas to stay away from Lorelei tonight but it was obvious that he wasn't going to listen. And honestly Peter wasn't planning on playing messenger boy tonight. If they wanted to talk or simply ignore each other it wasn't Peter's problem. He had other things on his mind tonight.

"It figures…"Lorelei rolled her eyes as she got up from her seat "You boys always stick together. I should've known better."

Thomas moved to stop her from leaving "Maybe when you stop being so stubborn you'll realize that you can't ignore me forever!"

"Watch me." She said coldly and walked away from the table.

Charlie frowned, worried about her cousin. "Maybe I should go after her." It was the first word she had spoken since arriving and everyone suddenly remembered she had been there all along. And the fact that Lorelei just left without her.

"She'll be fine." Peter assured her "Besides, trust me. You don't want to get involved."

"Why?"

"Because we all know how this nights going to end." Arvid answered Charlie's question before Peter could.

"With a fight." The boys added in unison before continuing their conversation about the bands next performance. Charlie was shocked with their reaction. Apparently this was a normal occurrence.

Lorelei didn't get far when another boy stopped her.

"Lorelei! Long time no see!" he greeted giving her a quick hug. Knowing that Thomas was watching intently she kissed Roger on the cheek. Knowing how jealous he could be it would probably feel like he'd been stabbed in the heart. And that was exactly what she was aiming for.

"Hey Roger! How's it going?"

"It's been good! So I hear that you're not Thomas' main queen anymore." He stated looking at the table she had previously been sitting in. Thomas had now taken her seat and stolen Otto's drink (which Otto himself didn't look too happy about) It was obvious that Roger had liked Lorelei for awhile now, ever since she first started coming to the swing club. But back then she had been Thomas' girl.

"Yeah but for the record, I was the one who broke up with him." Lorelei replied. She was surprised at how much it hurt to say those words, but quickly recovered.

"That's fine by me!" Roger grinned. "So you care to dance?" Lorelei glanced over at the table and saw Thomas watching her intently. She could almost swear he looked as beat up over the end of their relationship as she did.

Lorelei felt guilty for what was probably a second before remembering why they broke in the first place…

"I would love to." She grinned, taking his arm and heading out on the dance floor. Thomas continued to glare at them. Someone was going to get their face beat in tonight and everyone, including Charlie was sure of how the night would end…once again.

"Hey man, calm down." Peter said, placing a hand on Thomas' shoulder. "She's just doing it to get you riled up."

"Well two can play that game." Thomas stated and grabbed some random girl from along side the dance floor. He made his way to where he was in Lorelei's line of vision.

Lorelei was having fun dancing with Roger, but honestly he wasn't the best dancer. She was so used to dancing with Thomas that it was hard for her to dance with any of the other guys, being so used to his style of leading. As Roger spun her around, Lorelei caught sight of Thomas dancing with another girl. When he noticed that she was looking at him, Thomas sent her a smirk and pulled his partner in close for the Charleston.

"What is he doing?" Lorelei gasped quietly. She couldn't help but be jealous that Thomas was dancing with another girl. As Roger spun her in, she stepped on his foot with her heels because she wasn't paying close enough attention.

"Oww!" Roger gasped as he quickly stopped dancing. The heel had smashed right on the top of his foot, making it throb in pain. Mortified, Lorelei turned as she heard Thomas laughing. He had seen the entire thing and couldn't help but laugh. But unfortunately, he also wasn't paying close enough attention to his partner and when he went to flip her over, he ended up dropping her and she fell flat on her back to the floor.

"Classic, Thomas, classic!" Lorelei laughed, clapping lightly.

"Well you're no better! You probably broke his foot with those damn heels of yours!" Thomas argued back. Neither of them noticed when their partners hobbled off the dance floor.

"What are they doing?" Charlie asked. She couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle that her cousin and Thomas were making.

"Making fools of themselves as always." Peter said. Whenever Thomas and Lorelei fought it was turned into a dramatic production. "This is pretty normal for them".

"So have you ever jitterbugged back in Munich?" he asked, turning the conversation away from Lorelei and Thomas.

"No, some of my friends would go but I had to stay home to help my father." Charlie explained, hoping the subject would end there. Mentioning her father brought back memories of the last few months. Memories in which no matter how much or how often she'd try to forget, would always be there to torment her."

"Well it's easy. I can teach you." Peter offered.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She replied and indicated towards the dance floor. "I can't do that." She was watching all the girl's being flipped around and could picture herself falling on her head…just like the poor girl dropped by Thomas.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." He said and dragged her out onto the floor. They spent the rest of the night with Peter teaching her the basic steps of swing. Charlie had even started to catch on towards the end which was a miracle. Peter was clearly one of the most patient and encouraging people she had ever met. It was surprising how comfortable it felt to be around…comfortable enough that time seemed to pass by quickly.

"Are you ready to go, Charlie?" Lorelei asked, handing Charlie her wrap.

"Yeah we better get back before your parents get upset." She said. Aunt Gretchen and Uncle Carl were probably still waiting for them in the parlor to make sure the girls got home safe and weren't drunk (which apparently Lorelei had been grounded for a month for doing a while back).

"It wouldn't be safe for you two to walk home by yourselves. I'll go with you, if that's alright?" Peter offered, putting his jacket on.

"Wouldn't that be out of your way?" Charlie asked as they started heading towards the door.

"Not by much. We don't live very far from each other, actually." He replied, holding open the door for her and Lorelei.

Lorelei couldn't help but think how cute they looked together. Peter was obviously interested but Charlie was much more difficult to read. Her cousin had been through so much pain and most of her quiet thoughts must have been with her father. But dating Peter might just be the thing that gets her out of her depression. Maybe she should investigate a little. "Peter is such a great guy isn't he Charlie? And such a gentleman too."

"Umm…yes. And thank you by the way."Charlie smiled awkwardly as Lorelei skipped by them on purpose in order to leave them alone. Her matchmaking was so obvious and so embarrassing! They continued to walk mostly quiet but occasionally making a specific remark about the evening when Lorelei noticed that Thomas was tagging along behind them.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Didn't the boy get a hint? It was bad enough having to see him at the Bismarck and now he had the nerve to follow her home?

"It's not like I'm in a hurry to go home." Thomas shrugged, swinging his umbrella around.

"Well don't you have something to visit?" she retorted.

"You really know how to hold a grudge don't you? Especially when you don't have the full story. But if you just let me explain…"

"I don't want to hear it. I know what I saw!" She declared, quickening her pace and refusing, once again, to hear his explanations.

"Lorelei told me about your father. I'm sorry for what happened." Peter said after a short pause. Thomas and Lor wouldn't be much company now so he could talk to Charlie without having them interfere.

"We both understood the risk he was taking." Charlie said. It was still hard for her to deal with the fact that her father was gone but he did it defending a cause that both of them believed in.

"It's hard, I know. My father was arrested when I was young, for defending Jews at the university he worked at." Peter explained. "They eventually let him out but he died soon after."

"I'm sorry, Peter." Charlie said.

"Charlie, come on!" Lorelei said, walking up the front steps of the house. Neither Peter nor Charlie realized that they had already reached the house.

"I had fun tonight. Thank you." Charlie said, facing Peter.

"I'll see you in school on Montag, then." He replied. Charlie nodded and then followed Lorelei into the house. As soon as Lorelei walked in Thomas grabbed Charlie by the arm.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself. I'm Thomas; your cousin's good for nothing ex- boyfriend who _didn't_ cheat on her."

"I'm Charlie. Your ex-girlfriends cousin who will now be living here _permanently_. I'm quite surprised though, she always spoke so nicely of you in her letters. But she's pretty sure she saw you with some other girl."

"Charlie please talk to her. Lor needs to hear the full story."

"I'll try. Goodnight Thomas. Goodnight Peter." She added before walking inside.

"Oooh I'll see you in school on Montag, Charlie!!! I love you so much!!! Oooh!!!" Thomas said, making fun of Peter as they started making their way back up the street.

"Oh shut up." Peter said, punching him in the arm. "You should worry about your own love life. Or lack of."

**Next Chapter: First day of school for Charlie!!!**

**R&R**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter 3:**

"Hey Peter, Thomas!" Arvid called as the boys met up on the stairs. The last class of the day had just let out and the could finally relax and unwind at the hotclub after school.. "Quiz time!" he said, pulling out Cab Calloway's Hepster's Dictionary. "What is an icky?" He looked up at the boys surrounding him, waiting for the answer.

"Someone who's stupid, not hip, can't collar that jive." Peter recited off and then asked, "Jive?"

"Ooh Talk! What they say in Harlem." Thomas chimed in and then grabbed the book from Arvid. "Umm…faust?" he asked, quickly picking one out from the page.

"Oh! A book by Goethe!" Otto chimed in. The rest of the boys groaned and called him an "icky" for saying the wrong answer. There's always one friend you would call clueless: and in this case, it was Otto.

"Even as we speak two icky's." Peter laughed as they passed two boys on the stairwell.

"A faust is an ugly girl." Arvid said, rather smugly. He knew the entire Hepster's Dictionary like the back of his hand.

"Like that faust you went for at the Bismarck the other night." Thomas could never resist taking a crack at Arvid; he was just so easily offended. Before Arvid could reply back, Otto huddled them close.

"Boys, boys could you go for these?" he asked, whipping out some pictures of topless girls.

"Ooh ooh I like these. Look at these breasts." Thomas grinned, peering over Otto's shoulder.

"Otto, where did you get these?" Peter asked, curiously, taking one of the cards from the pile.

"I got em," he answered vaguely, as he flipped through the pictures, showing them to the boys.

"What do you call those? Cupcake size?" Thomas interjected. He could care less where Otto got them from.

"Cantaloupe." One of the boys chimed in. Thomas laughed and glanced up seeing Charlie and Lorelei walk by.

"Oh look its Peter's duchess," he pointed out, teasingly. The girls had just gone to their lockers to get their jackets. Neither had noticed the boys watching them yet.

"Who says I'm interested?" Peter retorted. Otto quickly slipped the cards back into his pocket knowing that the girls would never let him forget it if they saw them.

"Oh come on! You're tongue was hanging on the floor!" Thomas declared and Peter just rolled his eyes. How ironic, seeing who Charlie's walking with.

"I can't believe that Fräulein Schneider is giving us a test already! We've barely covered all the material." Lorelei complained, tossing her books into the locker.

"She must think we're ready for it, if she is giving us the test so soon." Charlie shrugged, putting her books into her bag.

"Either that or she's just an evil witch!" Lorelei said and Charlie just laughed. It was true that Fräulein Schneider was not a very pleasant woman and her tests were almost impossible to pass.

"Hey did you pigeons have fun at the Bismarck the other night?" Thomas interjected as he approached the girls.

"Do you hear something because I sure don't?" Lorelei said, looking at Charlie.

"Be nice." she replied, as she closed her locker "He's trying to apologize." She looked up and caught Peter watching her and smiled at him.

"Damn it! Just listen to me for five seconds, will you?" Thomas demanded, agitated. He was getting tired of the bickering and her not giving him a chance.

"Thomas, calm down." Peter said. He knew that both Lorelei and Thomas were hurting but they really needed to resolve their issues or else one of them were going to end up doing something they regret.

"Fine." Lorelei agreed. "5…4…3…2…1. Oh look at that. Your five seconds are up. Come on Charlie." Lorelei pushed past the boys with Charlie following. They headed outside, leaving the boys standing in the middle of the hallway. "By the way Otto, you dropped one of your nudie pictures."

"One day she's going to actually have to listen to me." Thomas stated. He was determined to get her to hear him out, but it was more trouble then he first thought. "Did you at least get a chance to talk to Charlie?"

"No, thanks to you and Lorelei bickering!" Peter stated. Everyone was getting tired of the fighting, including Arvid and Otto. The boys headed down the stairs and Peter spotted Charlie with Lorelei not too far down the street.

"YOU!" He yelled, catching the girl's attention, along with everyone else on the street. "_Go to my_ _head_" he sang and the rest of the boys joined in.

"_And you linger like a haunting refrain."_ Charlie couldn't help but turn red at the attention, although it was rather cute. Lorelei was used to the boys making fools of themselves and just rolled her eyes.

"_And I find you spinning_ _around in my brain. Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne_!" They sang as Arvid and Otto started dancing around together as if they were in the swing club. The girl's turned back around and started heading for home. Along the walk Lorelei got unusually quiet.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked, knowing that something, most likely someone, was on her mind.

"I miss him." She confessed. Lorelei missed going to the swing clubs and making up new dance moves with Thomas, hanging out at the hot club. She missed just being with him. "But he makes me so angry! What makes him think I'm going to fall head over heels for him once more when he tries to talk to me after watching nude pictures? I hate him!!

"I know, cousin, I know." Charlie said.

"Oh! I almost forgot to ask. How did you do dancing with Peter?" Lorelei asked, quickly changing the subject. She was determined to never let the situation with Thomas bring her down. And lately, she had been thinking so much about Thomas she had barely given thought towards Charlie and Peter.

"I wasn't very good but it was fun." Charlie admitted. She had enjoyed going to the swing club and dancing with Peter but she was right when she said she wasn't very good. It had taken her almost the entire night to learn the basic steps.

Suddenly, Lorelei gasped and started jumping up and down.

"I have an idea!!!" she squealed excitedly. It had just come to her; Lorelei was surprised that she didn't think of it sooner. "I'm gonna teach you how to be sleazy!"

"What?" Charlie asked, slightly shocked. Sleazy? What was that supposed to mean?

"I am going to teach you to be a Swing Goddess!"

"I don't think this is such a good idea." Charlie replied, looking at her cousin as if she had lost her mind. Had Lorelei taken a good look at her lately? The truth was she was positive she wasn't swing girl material.

"Trust me. You're gonna thank me for it." Lorelei assured her. "And besides, how else are you gonna impress Peter?"

"Impress Peter? Why would I want to impress Peter?" Charlie asked, innocently. Lorelei laughed, her cousin wasn't very good at hiding her emotions.

"Come on, the chemistry between you two. It is so obvious that you like each other."

"I don't know." Charlie sighed. She still wasn't very sure about this idea. She didn't see how she would ever be able to learn to dance like the other girls at the club.

"Just trust me." Lorelei stated as they entered the house. "Mama, Papa we're home!" she called out, greeting her parents.

"Hello dears, how was school?" her mother asked, coming from the kitchen. The environment at the Schumler household had changed for the worse since her Uncle Freidrich's death. But Lorelei's mother and father were trying to keep things as normal as possible for the girls despite the pain and the uncertainty her uncle's death had brought.

"Awful as usual." Lorelei stated, and started dragging Charlie up the stairs. "We'll be in my room if you need us."

"Alright but dinner will be ready in an hour." She called up after them. Lorelei closed the bedroom door and immediately turned on the record player. Ella Fitzgerald singing Mack the Knife started playing.

"Let's see what you got."

**Next Chapter**: Lorelei needs some serious help from the last person she wants to speak to. Will she convince Thomas to help teach Charlie how to dance? Till next time.

**Please R & R**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It was almost a week since Lorelei had started Charlie's dance lessons, and let's just say, it was _not _going good. Charlie was able to grasp the basics but when it came to following, and even just moving with the music…. she was pretty much hopeless. Lorelei was at her wits end because it was only three more weeks until the next swing dance.

So here she was sitting in History class with Fräulein Schneider droning on about The Treaty of Versailles…_again_! How the merciless nations of Europe and the United States had humiliated Germany. And how the Fuhrer had restored peace and happiness and all this other nonsense Lorelei could care less about. She was too busy trying to figure out what to do about Charlie. What she needed was some help with teaching her. Who could help her? Otto? No way! The boy had no sense of rhythm. Roger? Not after what happened last week. She continued to think of the other boys from the club but she eliminated them all until she only had Thomas left. Lorelei didn't want to ask him but he was the only one who would be able to help Charlie. After all, it was him who taught her to dance.

Lorelei sighed and started tapping her pencil on the desk. There really was no other way. She was going to have to talk to him. But she would do it for Charlie and for Peter.

"Fräulein Schumler, do you intend to spend the entire class-time daydreaming?" Fräulein Schneider demanded, bringing Lorelei's attention back to the lecture.

"I'm sorry, Fräulein Schneider. It won't happen again." Lorelei stated, looking up at the older lady, standing over her desk.

"Make sure that it doesn't." she demanded and headed back up to the front of the class.

The class was soon over after that and Lorelei quickly ducked out in the hall. Thomas was at his locker, taking out his books for the next class. It was time to suck up her pride for her family's sake. Here goes nothing!

"I need a favor." Lorelei stated, approaching Thomas.

"Did I hear something? Must be my imagination." He retorted, and started to walk away from her.

"Ok ok. I deserve that but I really need your help." Lorelei pleaded, chasing after him. Sure she could've been nicer at first but how was he going to turn her down after hearing her suggestion?

"What is it?" he sighed, stopping and facing her. It was typical; once she needed something she came running to him.

"I need you to help me teach Charlie how to jitterbug."

"Why not ask Peter?" Thomas questioned, curious at her request. It made sense for Peter to help, since everyone knew he was the one who had a thing for Charlie.

"Because I'm doing this for him as a surprise." Lorelei explained. Thomas crossed his arms and smirked at her. It sounded like a great idea from the mind of his meddling ex-girlfriend. Lorelei always had a difficult time with sitting around and letting others figure their life out. If she could interfere in some way to push things quickly…she would do it. But Lorelei forgot something when she asked him for help. As much as Thomas liked the idea of setting Peter up with Charlie there was something in it for him too…Lorelei would feel obligated to talk to him now.

"OK so what's in it for me?"

"Well what do you want?" she asked, unsure of what he was getting at. He couldn't just do this favor out of the kindness of his own heart? But at least it was looking like he was going to agree to help.

"What I want is a chance to explain myself with no interruptions. And I want you to really listen to me too, Lorelei." He stated firmly. Blackmail was such a wonderful thing.

"Alright" she sighed. "Deal." They quickly made plans to meet at her house at five that evening.

Thomas and Lorelei were busy moving a round the furniture in the living room when Charlie came down the stairs, holding the book she had been reading in her hand.

"What's going on?" she asked, surprised to see Thomas over after how Lor treated him at school. She hadn't even heard him come in. Lorelei smiled at her.

"Well, Thomas has agreed to help me teach you to dance." Charlie sighed and rolled her eyes. The past week had been torture with trying to learn the dances and now they had an extra spectator? Not to mention the fact that Lor and Thomas could barely speak without getting angry.

"Don't you think we were subjected to enough torture these past few nights?" Thomas curiously looked up from moving the armchair.

"What do you mean?" He wasn't starting to regret his decision, was he? Besides, Lorelei learned to jitterbug easily. It must run in the family.

"Let's see, as my dear cousin put it last night, I'm heartbreaking." Charlie stated, plopping down on the couch. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do this dancing thing anymore. Was it really worth going through this much trouble to impress a boy?

"You can't be that bad." Thomas stated. After all, Peter had been working with her at the Bismarck. Both girls exchanged a look. This was definitely going to be interesting.

"Well let's just get started." Lorelei stated, moving over to the record player. She put on a Benny Goodman record and let Thomas take control of the lesson.

"Alright Charlie, show me what you know so far." Thomas said, as they began to dance. Lorelei and Peter had taught her the basics, so at they were doing pretty good so far. They just had to work on her posture.

"You have to put more pressure on the arms." He said, showing her the correct way to do it. Lorelei observed from the armchair in the corner of the room, remembering her first lessons with Thomas and Peter with a smile.

After practicing the basics, Thomas decided that Charlie was ready for the more difficult steps. Little did he know how hard this would be. It seemed that Charlie did the opposite of whatever he wanted her to do. When he tried to spin her around she would turn the other way or worse, step on his feet. When he tried to lead, she wouldn't follow and this wasn't only when he spun her around…it was pretty much everything they did together. After stepping on Thomas' foot once again, Charlie turned towards Lorelei

"Alright! I've had enough of this."

"Why? What's wrong?" Lorelei asked. Sure the lesson was going bad but it was only day one. She was confident her cousin would learn soon enough.

"_Why_? Because I can't dance that's why!" Charlie exclaimed, "Besides, I'm sure Thomas has better things to do than have me stomp on his feet repeatedly".

"Hey, it's only the first day; you can't expect to learn everything today." Thomas said gently. She couldn't expect to learn everything on the first try. He and Lorelei had been dancing for a little over a year! Of course, Charlie didn't have to hear about they won every dance competition they entered since they began dating. It might make her feel less confident.

"Fine." Charlie sighed as she got back into the basic position. She would try this. After all, if her cousin could do it, she could do it.

Almost a week later, Charlie was finally ready to progress to aerials.

"I need your complete attention Charlie." Lorelei said, getting up from her chair "I don't want you getting hurt. These tricks are easier than they look but you still have to be careful. First of all, there has to be trust between both partners, if you're don't trust him or you're scared, you'll end up falling on your head, or some other body part."

"Second, don't over anticipate the move. Partners have to have perfect timing when doing a trick because if one partner gets ahead of the other, one of you may get hurt. And third, you have to think of yourself as light as a feather. If you believe that you're heavy, no one on earth will be able to lift you, no matter how thin you are. Any questions?"

"Are you guys sure I'm ready for this?" Charlie asked nervously. Lorelei's speech did nothing more than frighten her. "Easier than it looks? Are you kidding?"

"Of course I'm not kidding."

Ready Charlie?" Thomas said, pulling her up from her chair and into the basic position. Charlie followed Thomas quietly; trying hard not to remember what happened to the last girl Thomas flipped.

They tried everything from doing boxcars to simple flips and all of them seemed to involve some sort of accident in which one or the both of them got hurt. No matter how many times Thomas and Charlie practiced, no progress was coming out of this. Whether it was one or all of the three mistakes Lorelei mentioned. By the time Charlie and Thomas fell doing a back to back flip, Lorelei had to stifle her laughter. She couldn't help but find the situation amusing, even though it was at her cousin's expense.

"Maybe we should try again tomorrow." Lorelei remarked as Thomas helped Charlie up from the ground.

"Yeah I need head home. My parents have some squares coming over for dinner. They actually want me to be there this time." Thomas stated, grabbing his jacket from off the couch. He turned to Charlie before he headed out the door, "Don't worry about it. You'll get it tomorrow." She just hoped that he was right.

"I'll walk you out." Lorelei offered and they made their way outside.

"She's improved a lot over the last couple of weeks." Lorelei stated as they stood outside on the porch.

"Yeah she has." Thomas agreed. "As long as she stops hesitating and gets over her uncertainty, she'd be a rug cutter!"

"She'll get over it." Lorelei stated; she had faith in her cousin.

"Well I better get going. I'll see you in school tomorrow." He said, awkwardly. This was pretty much the first time they had been alone since they broke up.

"Alright." She said softly, as he headed down the street making his way home. Lorelei really missed him but wasn't really sure on what to do about it. Regretfully, she went back into the house to have a chat with Charlie.

The next day Charlie was able to do the aerials. For some reason, it just clicked after Lorelei and Thomas had demonstrated the move more thoroughly for her. Now it was the night before the Café Bismarck.

"I must say that I am impressed." Thomas stated as they all flopped down on the couch. Charlie had done it! She had learned everything she needed to be a hep-cat.

"Yeah, you're almost as good as me." Lorelei teased, giving her a hug. She was so excited for Charlie and couldn't wait to see Peter's face tomorrow. As if reading her thoughts, Thomas grinned,

"Peter is going to blow his top when he sees you." Well, Charlie certainly hoped so! She definitely worked hard enough for it!

**Next Chapter: The Café Bismarck. Charlie gets a chance to show Peter her new dance moves, plus, Lorelei runs into an old friend**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"So…" Charlie grinned as she was shelving some books in the bookcase behind Lorelei. They had been at work since early that morning and Lorelei had not even mentioned her talk was Thomas.

"So what?" she asked, continuing to fill out the remaining paperwork that was on the desk. She knew where the conversation was going.

"Don't play innocent with me Lorelei Schumler; I know you talked to Thomas last night." Charlie said. She stopped what she was doing and waited for her cousin to give in and tell her what happened. It was only a matter of time before Lorelei would tell her.

"Fine. And I'm just letting you know that this was my part of the favor for helping you." Lorelei sighed as she started to recall what Thomas and her talked about last night.

"Thomas and I met Katrin at the Bismarck about five months ago and we became really good friends. Since Katrin and I were so close I never thought anything about having her around Thomas, but boy was I wrong. So, about a month ago we were supposed to meet at the Bismarck but I had to help father with the store. We were having such a hard time then with…" Charlie knew what she would say. Her father's death and the worry about Charlie's future must have shaken everything up. "I told Thomas to go alone and have a good time without me."

"I was so happy when Papa let me leave early so I could go meet Thomas." Lorelei smiled sadly, as she remembered that night "I figured I could surprise him, Charlie. I was the one surprised; As soon as I walked in there they were…kissing. I haven't talked to either of them since."

"Well, what did Thomas have to say about all of this?" Charlie asked. She never understood why they had broken up in the first place but now it made sense to her. This was the first time Lorelei had mentioned anything about the breakup.

"Thomas said that Katrin surprised him with that kiss. One moment they were dancing and the next she was kissing him; that he never started that kiss. He also said that he still loves me and that he never wanted to hurt me. But honestly Charlotte? I mean…Charlie? How do you get surprised with a kiss?"

"And what did you tell him?" Charlie asked as she leaned towards the desk, hanging on to her cousins every word. This was the stuff that romance was made of…sometimes blissful, sometimes, painful and always passionate.

"I told him I would think about it. Honestly, I wouldn't mind starting over with him but I need time." Lorelei answered. Part of her wanted to believe him completely and just take him back but it was so hard to forget what she saw that night. Despite the fact that Katrin kissed Thomas, it didn't seem as if he put up much of a fight in the first place. Charlie nodded, agreeing with her cousin's answer.

"Ahem." A voice said, interrupting the girl's conversation. Looking up the girls noticed that it was one of their regular customers.

"Can I help you?" Charlie asked, turning red. She hoped he hadn't listened to their whole conversation.

"Yes." The man replied smiling at the girls "I'm looking for a rare edition of Faust."

"Just a moment." Charlie replied as she started to head towards the back to find her uncle. To both of the girls surprise, Herr Schumler was already standing behind them.

"Lorelei, can you wrap up the gentleman's book." He asked, turning towards his daughter.

"Yes, papa." She replied grabbing the book from the shelf and running towards the back. Lorelei really hoped her father hadn't heard her sob story. It was one thing to have a customer hear about her problems with Thomas but it was a completely different thing with her father.

"I hope they didn't keep you waiting very long." Herr Schumler said as he rang up the purchase.

"Not at all. I wouldn't have wanted to interrupt such an interesting conversation." The man teased as a blushing Lorelei handed him the book. "Thank you and have a good day." He added as he left the store.

After the man left, Herr Schumler turned towards his daughter and niece frowning. Soon, however the frown turned into a smile as he shook his head. He could never stay mad at either of them for too long.

"Girls, why don't you go home and get ready for tonight?" he said.

Charlie and Lorelei both looked at him in disbelief; here they were expecting a lecture and now he was letting them go home early. "Are you sure Onkel?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. But make sure it doesn't happen again, and that means you too Lorelei."

"It won't happen again." Charlie replied as they kissed him goodbye, grabbed their stuff and ran out of the store.

"Have I ever told that you're the best father in the world?" Lorelei exclaimed running back in.

"All of the time." Carl Schumler laughed at is daughters spur of the moment compliment. Best father in the world? She'd better believe it. It didn't get much better than him or his brother…May he rest in peace. Now Charlie joined their family and he will make sure that she will have an uncle who will love her like her own father did. This he promised his brother and that promise will be kept.

It took both of the girls most of the evening to finish getting ready, due mostly the Charlie's nerves.

"Are you sure I look alright?" Charlie asked, stopping just outside of the Bismark's entrance. Lorelei looked her over real quick. Reaching up, she smoothed some of Charlie's hair down, which had gotten blown out of place in the wind.

"There, now it's perfect." Lorelei assured her. Charlie was wearing a cream colored dress with different colored flowers on it, complete with a matching belt. Lorelei ran her hands over her outfit, which consisted of black pants and a white shirt.

"I don't know if I can do this." Charlie frowned, looking up at the doors where they could hear the music coming from inside.

"Trust me, you'll do great." Lorelei assured her, smiling at her cousin. Peter was going to be so shocked! Charlie nodded her head and followed her cousin inside. The place was packed and they had to push their way over to the table where the boys were sitting.

"It's about time you girls got here." Thomas commented as he spotted the girls approaching. Lorelei just rolled her eyes as Thomas pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Hey, we were making a grand entrance." She laughed soon after; taking the cigarette that Otto offered her.

"I didn't think you two were coming tonight." Peter said, surprised but happy to see Charlie. Thomas had said that Charlie and Lorelei had to work late at the shop and wouldn't be able to make it.

"We got to leave the shop early." Charlie said, going along with what Thomas had told Peter. A new song had started with a fast tempo and many of the people are them rushed out onto the floor.

"Let's dance." A boy said grabbing Charlie's hand and pulling her onto the dance floor. Lorelei recognized the boy, but had never danced with him before. He was very handsome and a good dancer. Thomas and Lorelei look at each other and turned towards Peter who was watching Charlie in surprise. Since when did she know how to jitterbug?

"You know, Thomas and I have been working on her for a couple of weeks now." Lorelei commented. Peter looked at her in surprise. He had no clue that Charlie was learning how to dance.

"Yeah but we did this for you, not that square." Thomas continued. Peter turned back to watch Charlie for a second. The boy on the floor had just flipped her over his shoulder. A strange look came over Peter's face as he stood from his chair. He started to make his way onto the dance floor, heading straight for Charlie.

"Go get that duchess!" Arvid yelled over the noise of the crowd as the rest of the group started cheering and making cat calls.

Peter reached Charlie just as the boy spun her out. Grabbing her free hand, he pulled Charlie to him and away from the other boy. He saluted him and moved to another part of the floor to continue dancing with Charlie.

"What are you doing?" she laughed as he swung her around.

"Did you think that I was going to actually let you dance with him? Peter grinned. Charlie just laughed and continued dancing. It wasn't long until the song ended and everyone started clapping for the band, as they stepped offstage for a fifteen-minute break.

"I'm impressed." Peter smirked, throwing his arm around her shoulder as they started to make their way back to the table. Charlie had danced almost a hundred percent better then the first and only time they had danced together. It was amazing what Lorelei and Thomas had taught her and they had done it without killing each other. Was there a reconciliation in the works?

"You were so good!" Lorelei gushed, pulling her cousin into a hug as soon as they reached the table. "I am so proud of you! All my hard work paid off!"

"Oh yeah, I bet you suffered from the bruises and beatings as well, huh Lorelei?" Thomas asked her, shaking his head.

"Yeah well, you helped too." She admitted casually. Thomas and Peter just looked at each other and laughed.

Arvid made his way up to the stage with his guitar in hand. The group, along with many other people from the sidelines, made their way up close to the stage.

"All right you hepcats!" the band leader announced. "Get ready to jump up and down! Here's one of your own who can really break it down. The Hitman meets Count Basie! Yeah!" The music started up with Shout and Feel It; Arvid playing lead on the guitar. The group on the floor opened up a circle in front of the stage where different partners kept switching, showing off their best swing moves. To Lorelei and Charlie's surprise, the boys made their way into the circle and started dancing together. The girls burst out laughing at the sight of them.

"They have been practicing this dance for as long as I can remember." Lorelei gasped out in-between laughs.

"Come on, we're not going to let them show us up, are we?" Charlie grinned and dragged her cousin into the circle. They started dancing together, doing a series of twists and spins that they had actually come up with during Charlie's lessons. The crowd started cheering them on but before either of them could finish, the music was cut short. Almost immediately, a polka started up and everyone scrambled around for partners.

"The HJ's are coming! Hurry up!" a girl declared. Thomas and Peter made sure that Lorelei and Charlie were by their side as they made their way towards the center of the floor.

"Oh, scheiss patrol." Thomas stated, as the HJ filed into the dance hall. Charlie grabbed onto Peter's arm, frowning as she observed the wannabe soldiers.

"Come on." Peter said, leading Charlie back to the table, followed by Lorelei and Thomas.

"Killer diller, man!" Otto grinned as Arvid took a seat at the table.

"You were great." Helga said sweetly, moving slightly to make some more room at the table.

"Thanks, Helga." Arvid said rather dejectedly. The HJ's had ruined his performance, in his opinion. Charlie and Lorelei shared a grin; they thought that Arvid and Helga (who they had recently met but instantly liked) made a cute couple.

"Murderistic, Herr Hitman." Peter congratulated, patting him on the back. Everyone got situated in their seats, their eyes still trained on the HJ who were looking over the room carefully.

"Look at those pansies." Thomas sighed, annoyed that they had crashed their fun. He would never understand how someone could willingly join the pathetic bunch known as the HJ.

"They're all training for the Gestapo." Peter stated, watching to see what they were going to do.

"How did they know we were going to be here tonight?" Arvid asked. The swing nights were usually kept secret. You only knew about them if you knew someone who was a regular at the clubs.

"Probably beat it out of some swing kid." Thomas stated. It seemed like the most probable explanation since none of them would give up that information freely.

"That's horrible." Charlie frowned. She hated the Nazi's and everything they stood for. It was them that took her father away from her.

"That's Emil." Peter suddenly cried out. All eyes shot back towards the group of HJ's by the door.

"Where?" Otto asked, searching the faces for a sign of their old friend.

"So it's true." Thomas said, leaning back in his chair. "Goddamn traitor." They had heard rumor that Emil had joined the HJ, but none of them actually believed it.

"He was probably forced into it. It is compulsory, after all." Arvid said, trying to think of an explaination for why their friend was now an HJ.

"Oh some excuse." Thomas scoffed. "Those creeps are too busy marching up and down all day to keep track."

"Arvid's right, Emil couldn't be a traitor. He was the original hepcat." Peter said, hoping that what Thomas said wasn't true; and even though the evidence pointed towards what Thomas had said.

"Who's Emil?" Charlie asked Lorelei. Lorelei frowned but quickly whispered to her,

"He's an old friend of ours. One of the originals from the Hotclub." It was right before Charlie came that Emil had suddenly stopped hanging around. Rumor had it that Emil was "convinced" to join the HJ after he was taken off to Gestapo headquarters following a raid at a swing club.

"No, no one who likes swing can become a Nazi." Arvid decided. Suddenly, Thomas started stomping his feet and making farting noises, as the HJ march out of the dance hall. Lorelei stood from her seat, and started to head away from the table.

"Where are you going?" Thomas asked, seeing her start to leave.

"If you must know," Lorelei sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to the ladies room." She laughed at the look on Thomas' face and then continued making her way toward the back, where the bathrooms were located.

The bathroom was empty but while Lorelei was still in the stall, a group of girls came in.

"Did you see who's here tonight?" one of the girls laughed. The three girls were primping themselves in the mirror and Lorelei could hear the music start back up in the main room.

"Yeah I saw her." One of the other girls said as she reapplied her lipstick.

"Well, aren't you worried? She was hanging around with Thomas all night." The third girl asked. Lorelei knew then that it was her that they were talking about and she would bet her favorite pair of dancing shoes that one those girls was Katrin.

"Of course not." Katrin remarked casually, searching her bag for her face powder. "After what I did to break them up, Lorelei won't be going back to Thomas." The girls all laughed and then walked out of the bathroom. Lorelei exited the stall that she was in, a look of rage on her face. So what Thomas had said was correct; Katrin had instigated the entire thing…all this to break them up. Not thinking twice, Lorelei stormed out of the bathroom, making her way to Katrin.

"Katrin!" Lorelei yelled, causing the girl to turn and face her. This also caught the attention of the boys and Charlie, still sitting at the table only a few feet away.

"What is she doing?" Charlie asked, noticing that her cousin was mad about something.

"I have no idea." Peter asked, they were all craning their necks to get a better view of the situation.

"Oh no…" Arvid whispered, mostly to himself. He had been the first to get a full view of what was about to happen. " You guys did see who she was following right?"

"Oh yes!" Thomas and Otto exclaimed together to the surprise of everyone seated. "What? I'm about to vindicated." Thomas quickly corrected himself before turning towards Otto "What are you smiling about?"

"I know she's your main queen but two girls fighting over a man…ooh it doesn't get any more sweeter than that. And you owe me a drink from last time Swing Boy." He quickly added the last bit after receiving a dirty look from not only Thomas, but Charlie and Helga too.

* * *

"What do you want, Lorelei?" Katrin asked, raising an eyebrow at her. The girl was trying to act superior to Lorelei but she was about to be knocked down a few notches.

"Why'd you do it?" she demanded. "I thought we were friends." Katrin just gave her a little smirk.

"Because I felt like it." She replied. Before she could even blink, Lorelei had punched her in the face, sending her flying to the ground. Blood gushed from Katrin's nose, as Lorelei stood above her.

"Come near me or any of my friends again…especially Thomas… and I will kill you." She stated, coldly. "Also, next time check the bathroom stall before you go talking about someone." Lorelei turned and walked back to the table, where the boys sat cheering her on.

Everyone stood up from their seats as she walked towards Thomas "Will saying that I'm sorry be enough?"

"Maybe." He replied with a smug expression. He couldn't resist milking this for all it was worth. "But you might have to try a little harder than that."

Smiling, she kissed him full on the mouth, in front of everyone in the club. The cheering only grew louder; as they made it evident that the two were now back together.

**Next Chapter: lunch and a romantic walk through the city. Will Peter and Charlie will they finally get their act together? Also, how will Herr Schumler react to Lorelei and Thomas being back together? Stay tuned...and till next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

It was late in the afternoon when the bell above shop door rang, announcing the arrival of a customer. Herr Schumler looked up from behind the front desk, surprised to see Peter Müller walk in through the door.

"Peter, I thought I'd given you the day off?" Herr Schumler smiled. It was a slow day and he didn't need Peter's help with the deliveries. Even Lorelei had stayed home to help around the house, instead of in the shop.

"I know, sir. But I was wondering if I could take Charlie to lunch?" Peter asked, glancing around for a sign of the girl. He saw her coat hanging on the hook by the door, so she was there, just most likely in the back room.

"Well you'll have to ask her." Herr Schumler chuckled. Lorelei had told him about Peter's interest in his niece. After all Charlie had been through, she deserved to be happy. Besides, Peter was a nice boy, respectful, responsible and studious. He'd be proud to have him date either one of his girls. In fact, more than once, Carl Schumler couldn't help but wish Lorelei had taken an interest in him instead of Thomas Berger. But the past is past. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Charlie, not much at least.

"Charlie! You have a visitor." He called out to the back room. Charlie appeared in the door, surprised to see Peter standing there.

"Hello Peter." She smiled, although slightly surprised as to why he was there. They hadn't spoken to each other much since the last night at the Bismarck. They were all too busy celebrating the fact that Lorelei and Thomas had called a truce to their bickering…well, if you can them getting back together as a truce.

"I was wondering if I could take you to lunch?" Peter asked, slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of her uncle. Charlie looked to Herr Schumler to see his reaction, which looked like pure amusement more than anything else.

"Don't look at me, it's your decision." He told her as he started working on balancing the account books.

"But don't you need me here?" she asked. If she left, he would be working in the shop alone. He might need help later on.

"Peter is the first person to come into the shop today." Herr Schumler chuckled. "Don't worry about me; I can take care of the shop."

"Thank you, Onkel." Charlie smiled, kissing him on the cheek. Peter took her coat down from the hook and helped her into it.

"Just make sure that she is home in time for dinner." Herr Schumler warned. That would give them a few hours to spend together.

"Yes sir." Peter agreed.

"Bye Onkel!" Charlie called out as they headed out the door.

Several minutes passed as Charlie and Peter continued to walk side by side towards a small café by the river, each lost in their own thoughts. Peter couldn't understand why for the first time, he felt at a complete loss for words in front of a girl! Gripping his umbrella tighter, He was relieved at the sight of the café just around the corner.

As they reached the Café, Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that it had her cousin's name written all over it. Everything from the beautiful interiors, to the romantic music and definitely the presence of just couples in this particular afternoon. She quietly reminded herself to kill Lorelei as soon as she got home for embarrassing her like this. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

But thankfully, their awkward silences were soon replaced by the laughter that only two old friends could share. Time went by quickly as they laughed about her dance lessons with Thomas and Lor and shared childhood memories.

"So then, my friend Hans and I got the biggest spanking ever. He still says his bottom never felt quite the same." Charlie laughed. It felt great to be able to talk about her life in Munich without reflecting on the reasons she left in the first place. It had been along time since Charlie had allowed herself to remember her past life with joy. But for some reason, she felt at ease with Peter.

"And what happened next?" Peter asked, after glancing towards his watch to check the time.

"Well, I was very lucky. Mutti couldn't stand to punish me for long so after an hour I was back to being a naughty child." After a brief pause, Charlie continued, "She was very kind and beautiful. I think you would've liked her."

"Well if you're anything like her, I'm sure I would've liked her too." Peter grinned; he hadn't meant to be so forward with her but after seeing Charlie blush he couldn't help but smile. She really was different from every girl he had ever liked, proper and shy but also beautiful and intelligent.

"Thank you." Charlie replied softly "That's enough about me. It's your turn to talk now." She added, quickly changing the subject.

"What do you want to know Charlie?"

"Why don't you tell me about your friends? How did you all meet?" Charlie couldn't help but notice how happy talking about his friends made him. It was obvious that he was very proud of them.

"I've known Arvid for ages now, we used to go to school together since we were little and we always had the same taste in music. But it wasn't until we met Emil that we created the hotclub. Emil taught us everything about being swing kids, being the oldest. We also went to school with Otto but we didn't really get to know him until he auditioned for Arvid's band. Thomas was the last one to join the hotclub after he was expelled from his last school. After that we immediately became friends and the rest is history."

"What about Lor? When did she join?" Charlie was surprised to hear how hard Peter laughed at the mention of her cousin. So loud that the surrounding guests were looking at them, confused with his outburst. It took a few minutes for him to gain his composure before replying.

"Come on, let's get out of here and I'll tell you the rest of the story." Peter looked at his watch one last time before leading Charlie out of the Café.

"Lor and I have been friends since I started working with your uncle two years ago. But other than seeing each other at the shop or at school we didn't really hang out until about a year ago…"Peter began, his eyes brightening at the memory of the day the group of friends became complete, well until now…

_As the first signs of winter began many of teenagers in Hamburg gathered at Platen and Blumen Park to meet each other, whether it was for a quick chat or some ice skating. This is where everyone who's anyone would be, including a group of five friends…_

"_Now remember what I told you Thomas, a first impression is everything. You have to creep out like a shadow...smooth." Emil said, giving his younger friend a last piece of advice. _

"_I got it. This time, I'm locking the deal." Thomas replied confidently, as his gaze lingered on the new object of his affection. Only she didn't know it yet. Peter couldn't help but laugh at his best friend; smooth was the last thing Thomas was being as Lorelei Schumler skated by them for the third time today. Ever since Lor had broken up with her last boyfriend, Thomas had it his personal mission to get a date with her. Of course it wasn't as easy as they thought…_

_And Peter wasn't the only laughing at the moment…_

"_Great job Thomas, I'm sure you'll be sealing the deal any moment now." Arvid chuckled. Thomas turned towards him roughly…_

"_Look all I'm trying to say is that a fine dinner like her doesn't stay single for long. You have to talk to her before someone else does." Arvid continued, trying to avoid another argument. Their relationship had been volatile since the beginning, to the annoyance of the rest of the boys. It seemed as if one day they were fine and the next, Thomas and Arvid were at each others throats! _

"_How much do you want to bet that I'll be on a date with her by the end of the day." Thomas smirked. Arvid proudly shook hands with him._

"_Fine. Winner buys the loser a new record of their choice."_

"_Deal. Now where is she?" Thomas asked, anxiously. Now he had to do it or else, he'd have to put up with Arvid's comments for who knows how long. Plus, there was a new record he'd be looking at in Alberti's. But most of all, the thought of wiping the smirk off Arvid's face was enough to bring tears of joy to his eyes._

"_There she is." Peter interrupted, pointing her out among the crowd. Lorelei was laughing with her friends and had clue of what was going to happen. "Honestly Thomas, she's a nice girl, I'm sure you'll have no problem. Besides, you've got your boots on, there's nothing to worry about."_

"_I'm not worried. She won't be able to resist me." _

"_Well now's your chance." Emil said just as the groups of girls were skating closer to them, they were close but still Thomas hadn't made one effort to talk to her. Just as she was about to pass by them again, Thomas finally took a step forward, just as Emil tripped him with his umbrella…Instead of creeping out like a shadow, Thomas had fallen right on top of her._

_It took a few moments for Lorelei to register where she was at. One moment she was laughing at her friend and the next she had broken someone else's fall on the ice. Not to mention that whoever it was happened to be very heavy. After what seemed to be an eternity, someone had finally helped her off ice…it was Peter._

"_Are you alright." _

"_I think so." She replied, but as she finally opened her eyes, Lorelei recognized Peter's friends, who were laughing hysterically. Confusion turned to anger as she put two and two together…from the laughter to the very suspicious looking boy that was looking in the other direction…_

"_YOU IDIOT!" She yelled, looking at Thomas straight in the eye. "You think it's funny to knock people down for amusement? AND THEN YOU CAN'T EVEN HELP ME OFF THE GROUND?"_

_Nice girl my ass…Thomas thought to himself, as Lorelei rambled on and on about how he had knocked her down on purpose. All the sudden she had turned into some crazy woman, nagging him about manners. But he had to admit, it was the cutest he had ever seen her. A few minutes passed as he let her finish her argument on the stupidity of men and sharing a glance with Emil, he knew that now was his chance._

"_You know what? You're right. I acted like a complete fool and I apologize for the embarrassment." Thomas replied, catching Lorelei off guard._

"_Well it's alright I guess. There was no harm done." She replied; her face breaking into a smile as she finally took notice of him._

"_Of course there was. You see a righteous queen like you only deserves the best. What do you say I make it up to you over lunch? It's the least I can do."_

"_I don't even know you." _

"_Well that can be fixed." Thomas smiled, as he took her hand, after kissing it he replied "My name is Thomas by the way." _

"_Lorelei. It's nice to meet you." She replied, smiling brightly. Peter had to look at his friend in awe at the moment. Was that whole speech really working? And here he was thinking that Thomas was pulling some sort of off time jive at the moment._

"_Well Lorelei, I insist on making it up to you. Join me for lunch?" _

"_I think I will." But before the two of them could leave Thomas turned towards Arvid one last time…_

"_Thanks for the new record. I'll see you at Alberti's first thing tomorrow."_

"…Still you had to have been there it was hilarious! And Lor stills thinks that Thomas did on purpose." Peter finished his story as Charlie nodded her head in amusement. They really did make fools out of themselves always.

"We're here." Charlie sighed. They had already reached the entrance of her house. Sadly, time had passed so quickly while they were together. Charlie wished for nothing more than to be able to stop time right this moment, as Peter took her hand in his.

"We should do this again sometime. After all I have to show off my girl."

"Your girl? Since when?" Charlie couldn't believe what she had just heard! It must've been a mistake; she couldn't possibly have heard that…could she?

"Since now." Peter smiled, and after kissing her on the cheek, he walked away whistling a familiar tune. Charlie couldn't help but stare after him until she could no longer see him; She wondered if her heart had ever beat so fast or if she had ever felt lightheaded and dizzy around a boy. It was a foreign feeling but at the same time new and wonderful. Was this what it felt like to be in love? Charlie thought to herself as she opened the door into her house.

"So how'd it go?" Thomas Berger asked from his seat in the family's parlor. Charlie had forgotten that he was coming over for dinner. Charlie couldn't help but sigh once more before replying…

"It was nice. We went to lunch, went on a walk, I'm his girl…not much to say." Thomas and Lorelei looked at each other for a moment before their eyes brightened at Charlie's news. Especially Lorelei, who was a self proclaimed match maker.

"Not much to say my –"

"Dinner's ready!" Lorelei quickly covered her mouth at the thought that her mother almost caught her swearing. She'd be in big trouble. Gretchen Schumler, however didn't seem to notice as she gave Thomas a hug.

"It is so good to see you again Thomas. I'm glad my daughter finally came to her senses about you. I've told her time and time again, gentlemen are so hard to find in these times."

"I'm happy she came to her senses too Frau Schumler." Thomas laughed, walking towards the dinning room with Gretchen, but not before winking at Lorelei.

"What an ass kisser." Lorelei muttered softly. Quickly forgetting about her mother's comments for a moment she turned towards Charlie. Her mother had just interrupted a very good gossip session. "Don't think you're off the hook Charlie." She added while walking towards the Dinning Room.

Dinner was the same as usual in the Schumler household. Lorelei was chatting away about something as usual while Charlie quietly ate her dinner, but probably this time she was dreaming about Peter. Something that _also _never seemed to change was the look of death that Herr Schumler seemed to give Thomas every time they saw each other. Of course, the only person that ever noticed was Thomas, who couldn't help but feel uncomfortable while his girlfriend continued to talk all throughout dinner.

"Thomas, would you care to join me in the parlor for a moment?"

"Yes sir." Thomas looked towards his girlfriend for help but she happily ushered him outside while she talked to Charlie about Peter. Taking the seat opposite for Carl in the parlor, he readied himself for the speech he was about to get. Still, he would take a speech from Carl Schumler over one from his own father gladly.

"So I understand you're seeing my daughter again." Carl began, frowning.

"Yes sir."

"I really don't know what happened between the two of you since my daughter refused to tell me. But it was very difficult watching my daughter cry because of you. I know you probably don't understand this Thomas but someday you'll be a father too. It isn't easy for us to see our children suffer, especially our little girls."

"And when someone hurts our children. The pain runs so deep that you're willing to make that person suffer ten fold. I hope I never see her cry like that again or we will be having problems."

"What a happened was a big misunderstanding. Lorelei and I have already cleared things up." Thomas quickly replied. Carl leaned back towards his seat, smirking. It was obvious that he was really enjoying this!

"Well let's get straight to the point then…What are your intentions with my daughter?" Thomas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. What did he mean by that? Sure he liked Lor and they've dated for awhile but he's making it look like this was a marriage proposal or something. There was only one way out of this…answer whatever you think he'll like to hear.

"Only the best sir."

"That's good to hear because she deserves the best. May I ask what do you plan on doing when you finish school?"

"I haven't really given it much thought. I suppose I'll go to the university and be a doctor like my father." Thomas smiled after this answer; this was easier than he thought.

"A doctor is good but what about my daughter? What do you see in your future concerning her?" But thankfully before Thomas could think his way out of this one, Lorelei had walked in…

"Papa, what are you doing?"

"Just making conversation. Isn't that right Thomas?'

"Yes. It is. But I think I should be heading home before my parents start to worry." Thomas got off of his seat quickly, while Carl continued to stare at him. He'd have to thank Lorelei later for interrupting them when she did.

"It was nice seeing you Thomas. And just so you know, I happen to love Charlie was my daughter as well so do me a favor and relay what I told you to Peter. I'll be expecting him for this same conversation soon."

"Yes sir"

"Come on Thomas, I'll walk you out."

"Well that went quite good didn't it?' Lorelei asked Thomas as they walked outside.

"Oh it went great. Except the fact that your father hates me."

"Quit sulking, he does not hate you. He's just testing you…after all I am his little girl." Lorelei replied in a reassuring tone. "Besides, if he does hate you like you think, I'm sure you'll prove him wrong."

"I should be going then. Knock me a kiss?" After kissing Lor once more before going home, Thomas knew that it was worth all the trouble. Besides, Frau Schumler seemed to like him. Carl wouldn't be stupid enough to go against both his daughter and his wife.

Lorelei chuckled lightly as Thomas walked away. She did know that her father didn't approve too much of the relationship but was sure things would turn out for the best. Besides, it was pretty funny watching Thomas squirm. Maybe that'll teach him to let random girls kiss him at the Bismarck!

"I'm ashamed of you Papa." Lorelei said walking inside. "One of these days you're going to scare him away." She added in mock concern.

"It's not my fault that no one is good enough for my little girl…unless he's as great as your dad."

"No one is better than you dad." She replied, kissing his cheek. "You're expecting too much of him."

"I'm just warning him that's all. It'll make him think twice before doing anything to hurt you. And if he still loves you, he'll stay." Both father and daughter began to laugh. Lorelei knew that it was natural for her father to act like that since they had always been so close. Well that was enough laughing at the expense of Thomas. Lorelei had some business to attend to…

"Charlie! Don't get think you're getting away that easily. I want every single detail!"

**Next Chapter: Oh the consequences of stealing! How will everyone react to the circumstances Peter and Thomas are in? R&R…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

"Fraulein Becker?"

"Here."

"Fraulein handel? The History teacher asked, briefly glancing around the classroom "Fraulein Handel?"

"Obviously not here." Lorelei casually remarked, as she continued to tap her pencil on the desk as she usually did in Fraulein Schneiders' class It was no surprise that the both of them disliked each other since day one, with Lor on the receiving end of punishments and extra assignments.

"Why thank you Fraulein Schumler. Maybe you could contribute your smart observations with the extra assignment I'll be giving you today." The sound of a head hitting a desk was the only answer Lor gave her teacher while Charlie smiled at her theatrical antics.

"Well if Greta Handel is absent it will be safe to assume that the Jew has taking a vacation…hopefully permanent. Better for us, since we have one less Jew to deal with." She continued, ignoring Lorelei's indignant expression while pacing the classroom. Well she was right in a way…about the permanent vacation. But before Lor could think of another smart remark Charlie silenced her with a look. They had to be very careful with their words in public…who knew what would happen to them if they were overheard saying anything in favor of their Jewish (in this case half-Jewish)friends. It was dangerous; but hopefully Greta understood. Shrugging, she leaned back towards her seat, smiling. As she and Lor were sharing a secret that no one else was in on

Greta Handel (one of Lorelei's school friends) and her parents were just one of the few families the Schumler's and their friends were helping escape Germany. Many would probably consider them to be fools after experiencing the imprisonment and death of one of the members of their family and yet they continued to help as many as they could. If anything else, the death of Carl Schumler's brother; Charlie's father only helped strengthen their efforts to do what little they could to stop the atrocities that many in Germany didn't know about or simply turned a blind eye to.

Charlie couldn't help but wonder what her friends in Munich would think about what she continued to do; they'd think she was crazy or stupid at the very least. But Charlie couldn't stop doing what little she could to help the people that really needed it. Losing her father was heartbreaking and a loss she'd never recover from but Charlie was firm in her convictions and knew what had to be done. Most teenagers in Germany ignored the realities of the country they were living in and distracted themselves with trivial pursuits. But the Schumler's were a different sort of family and even Lorelei, who enjoyed trivial pursuits as much as any other teenager, felt the same way as her cousin.

Just then a crumpled paper landed on her desk. Charlie opened it up, knowing exactly who had sent it…

"_Did you see the look on that tart's face when she called Greta's name? What do you think Greta's doing by the way? Swing Heil!"_

Charlie scribbled a quick message back…

"_Yes I did. I'm sure she was surprised. Hopefully Greta's far away by now…oh! And Lor is there really a need for such language?"_

Now that she had replied, Charlie could continue her personal thoughts. It was either that or going to sleep in the middle of class. The fact of the matter was: there was something bothering her but it wasn't what they were doing. It was the fact that Peter didn't know. Lorelei apparently had no problem keeping her activities a secret from her boyfriend but for Charlie it was becoming really difficult after a dating him for a month. It felt strange hiding something from a person who was becoming so important to her, especially when she never enjoyed lying very much in the first place.

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by a paper hitting her in the face…

"_Of course there is! What else can we call her? And what's a matter? Dreaming about Peter are you?"_

Rolling her eyes Charlie quickly threw the paper back at her cousin, who was trying to hide her laughter…

"_None of your business! Now stop sending me messages or we'll both get in trouble! Besides which one of us is the one that really daydreams about her boyfriend?"_

"There's no shame in that." Lorelei whispered towards her cousin. She had finished reading her paper pretty quickly "Just don't tell him I said so."

"Ooh I think I have some blackmail material!"

"You wouldn't Charlie!"

But before Charlie could say anything else Fraulein Schneider took notice of them. Now the both of them had detention.

"I knew we were going to get in trouble! I've never gotten a detention...Ever!" Charlie complained as the girls were getting their schoolbooks from their lockers. Part of her wished Peter would have let her in on his plans today whatever they were, that way she wouldn't have to stay after school for the next three days with Lorelei.

"Honestly...a detention! Is that the best she can do?" Lorelei remarked casually as they began to make their way outside. "Oh come on don't look so beat up. There's a first time for everything, even getting in trouble." she added patting her cousin on the back "Besides, it is extra time with your favorite cousin in the world!"

"In trouble again Lor?" A voice asked from behind them. Looking back the girls spotted Otto and Arvid.

"Well compared to the four of you I'm a saint." she smiled back at Otto. It was true though. Lorelei wasn't a saint by any means but she never got into any big trouble compared to the boys or expelled from a school like Thomas had been previously. A girl had to set some limits as to what she should or shouldn't do.

"True. So what's the reason today?" Arvid asked. The boys were obviously curious since even though Lorelei didn't get into as much trouble as the boys her problems always revolved around some theatrical event. Either that or she was good at exaggerating her own stories in order to keep the boys laughing!

Lorelei simply shrugged but Charlie was ready to enter into a detailed and partly exaggerated story for why the both of them got in trouble complete with dialogues and possible blackmail material. Hey! Charlie didn't like to lie but sometimes revenge is a sweet thing to savor...she'd get over the lying part.

"Well it all started when Lor sent me a paper with details about her and Thomas." Lorelei turned towards her cousin roughly, her mouth wide open. "You know...private details." Charlie added conspiratorially as Otto leaned towards her, ready to hear what he hoped had to do with sex. Before Charlie could continue and Lorelei interrupt, Arvid brushed past them, ready to make his way outside.

"I don't give a damn about what happens to Thomas." He stated as he walked by his friends. Otto and Lorelei looked at each other, immediately understanding. Charlie however was confused. Didn't they usually get along? Before Charlie could ask Lorelei however, she had run out after Arvid.

"Am I missing something?" She turned towards Otto, hopeful for a response.

"The usual. That friendship runs hot and cold." He sighed. "But it's nothing new; we're all used to it." He added as they finally caught up to Lorelei and Arvid who were by the exit. They were close enough to overhear their conversation.

"I understand that he's a pain but you have to learn to ignore him Arvid! Half the time all he does is try to get you riled up!"

"What he needs to learn to do is keep his mouth shut." Arvid retorted, angry at the fact that Lor was apparently taking her boyfriend's side. "I'm sick and tired of his comments!"

"And he's sick and tired of yours too. And honestly we are all sick and tired of hearing both of your comments about each other. And don't look at me like that Arvid because you know I am not taking sides." She continued:

"I'm just telling you what everyone else is thinking and trust me I'll be telling him too. You two need to work out your differences and stop fighting all the time. For our sake at least."

"We don't fight we just bicker" A familiar voice interrupted. As the four of them turned around to see who it was, Lorelei jumped on Arvid from the fright as she was the first to recognize Thomas dressed as an HJ. For a moment there was complete silence as no one quite knew what to say.

"I know you're all wondering why we're dressed like this..." Peter began, attempting to break the ice. He briefly wondered what they would say in a few moments, especially Charlie who looked as if she didn't quite know how to react. He could see a mixture of confusion and fear in her eyes but she hadn't still hadn't said a word.

"You're damn right I want to know. So, what's your story?" Arvid asked both boys. As angry as he was, he needed to know what was going on with his two friends. Thomas and Peter looked at each other for a brief second, wondering who would be the one to talk…

* * *

**Back at the Hot Club:**

"So let me get this straight." Otto said, leaning forward from his usual chair in the hot club. "All of this happened because the other day you tried to lift a radio from a bread shop?" he added confused while Peter and Thomas nodded.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Arvid interrupted from his place by the window. "You could've gone to a work camp for that."

"We were thinking of stealing that radio for you." Thomas interjected. It was obvious that he was still annoyed with Arvid's outburst the other day over his broken record. Arvid however was clearly appreciative over what they tried to do for him, even if it was a dumb thing to do.

"Well thanks anyway."

"Don't mention it." Thomas smiled. "Plus it's not that bad. We can be HJ's by day and Swing Kids by night." He added, looking toward his girlfriend. He knew that if anyone else would agree with him, it would be his own girlfriend of course.

"Unbelievable." Lorelei muttered before inhaling the smoke from her cigarette. Out of all the things this pair of fools had ever done this was by far the dumbest one. She couldn't quite decide whether she should have laughed at Thomas or punched him for being an ass after hearing their story. It was the first word she had uttered since they walked to the hot club from school as she pondered what to say the whole way there. Charlie was even worse, since she hadn't said a single word just yet.

"If you have something to say Lor just spit it out already!" Thomas hated when she acted like a typical girl...throwing out little comments here and there instead of saying how she really felt! Sure Thomas didn't plan to join the HJ but everything he did was for his friends. Besides, there was a sense of excitement behind all of this. Just the idea of fooling those Nazi bastards. Sometimes Lorelei had no sense of adventure.

"I SAID...that what the both of you did was unbelievable not to mention stupid. Do you ever stop and think about how your actions affect the rest of us?"

"Oh you sound just like my mother! And by the way, how does this affect _you_?" Thomas replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Everyone else rolled their eyes with the exception of his girlfriend who, her cigarette forgotten, pursed her lips together before replying:

"Well how do you think I'll feel walking around the streets of Hamburg with a tin-eared HJ by my side?! Not to mention the amount of danger you're in now!" Now the both of them stood up from their seats angrily.

"If it bothers you so much Lorelei then there's two things you can do." Thomas smirked as he walked over to his girlfriend. "You can either find yourself a new boyfriend or join the BDM. That way you can get rid of your Shirley Temple locks and look like one of those fausts that hang around with the HJ's. How does that sound?" He added, pulling on one of her curls.

"THE BDM!" She shrieked. Asking her to join the Bund Deutscher Madel, (the female equivalent of the HJ) was the most dreadful thing Lorelei Schumler could ever imagine happening to her. And wait a moment…Did Thomas just compare her to Shirley Temple? "And how dare you make fun of my hair!"

"Awww…are you sensitive about your new hairstyle? He teased, pulling on one of her curls. Lorelei could hear the snickers from behind her as it was obvious that everyone had found the comparison quite funny. Taking a breath she thought quietly about what her reply would be, because Lorelei was sure she looked like a swing goddess with her new hairstyle.

"Funny. That's not what you said three nights ago." She smirked, looking straight towards her boyfriend. The snickers turned into laughter as Thomas Berger was, for the first time, was shocked and at a loss for words. The look of shock across his features however was quickly replaced by a nervous chuckle. He never thought she would have the guts to come out and hint that something might have happened between them recently. But then again, one of the reasons why Lorelei Schumler had captured his attention so quickly was the fact that she was unafraid to speak her mind and challenge (or in this case, embarrass) him whenever she needed to.

"Let me take advantage of the fact that you are so speechless. First of all, no offense but never compare me to your mother again unless you want me to start treating you as if I were and second, the next time you suggest that I join those ugly, backwards and sexually frustrated girls from the BDM I'll make sure you never walk again!" Lorelei added, poking him on the chest. Lorelei Schumler would never even ponder joining the BDM, where all they taught girls was to cook, clean and give birth to future little Nazi monsters!

Lorelei continued rambling: "Could you imagine me? Skipping around the streets of Hamburg singing _Take hold of a kettle broom and pan and surely you'll find yourself a man!_ You're crazy Thomas!"

"You forgot the rest. _Shop and office leave alone…your true life work lies at home_." Thomas added, as Lorelei sat back down in her chair.

"There's no need to be so dramatic Lor. If it's the uniform that bother's you, you'll know you'll get used to it." Thomas ignored what clearly sounded like an insult from his girlfriend, before continuing. "Besides, I'm not letting Peter go through this alone."

Lorelei sighed, knowing she had lost her battle. She had to recognize that even though what they had done was stupid, Thomas was willing to make up for his mistakes by staying with Peter. It didn't mean that things would become easier though. The thought of anything happening to either of them was surely going to cause Lorelei to worry herself to death, not that she'd ever let Thomas know how scared she truly was at the situation both him and Peter had gotten themselves into. Everyone knew that if an HJ or a member of the BDM was caught among the swing kids, their punishment would be worse.

Just then, Lorelei caught sight of Charlie, who had taken the moment to stand up and smooth out her skirt. "It's time to go home Lorelei."

Of course, it wasn't time to leave, not even close. But it was obvious that this was where Charlie least wanted to be at the moment. But as Lorelei want to stand up, Peter interrupted them:

"Charlie…"

"I have to go Peter." Charlie stated. The tone of her voice was resolute, signaling that the conversation was over. As she made her way outside, Peter looked after her for a moment, finally realizing why Charlie would have been bothered by the situation more than anyone else at the hot club. Her father had just been taken away from the Nazi's and now her boyfriend was part of the Hitler Youth…the future Nazi's of Germany. He had acted like a complete fool, and not only was he paying for his consequences but Charlie would always be reminded of her father whenever she looked at him. He was sure because it was the same way he had felt when he swore his allegiance to the Fuhrer. Anger for his father's death and disgust over the uniform he was now wearing. He quickly looked towards Lorelei for help.

"You have fifteen minutes before I walk outside Peter so make it good." She replied, as if she just read his mind. Peter quickly walked outside as the last thing he could hear was…"And as for you Thomas, you have fifteen minutes to make to make it up to me so choose your words carefully… and stop mimicking me!!"

Charlie was sitting outside on the steps, her back turned towards him. Peter wasn't sure whether or not she had noticed him as Charlie continued to look straight ahead. He had no clue of where to begin or what to say as he continued to watch her.

"Do you plan on just standing there all day Peter?" She quietly asked still not looking at him.

"No." He replied, taking the seat next to her. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know what to say."

"Well, there's' nothing left to say now is there? You made a mistake and now you're paying the price for what you've done." Charlie looked at him; a touch of disappointment was evident in her voice as she never thought that Peter would let himself be talked into something like this, no matter how much they wanted to make it up to Arvid. "Things could have been much worse you know…" she added, not quite sure of how to continue.

Charlie had been so close to losing him, as it was only by luck that he had managed to avoid being sent to a work camp. As fate would have it, Peter was still with her but now he was apart of the Hitler Youth. How ironic. As Charlie had promised herself not long ago that she'd stay far away from anyone in that uniform, from anyone who had nay connection with the men who had murdered her father. The men who had continuously barged into her home at all hours of the night in order to remind her of the agony she had suffered during the arrests, the trial, and the funeral. It may have looked like just a uniform but to Charlie it represented so much more.

"Charlie, look at me, I don't know what else to say except that I'm sorry. No matter what it looks like, I'm still the same Peter and nothing will ever change that." He began, while turning her face towards him.

"I know. Just promise me…that nothing will change." Charlie knew she wouldn't be able to stand losing someone else so soon.

"I promise you that nothing will change. I love you." He added without thinking. Peter had never said those three words to anyone before but with Charlie…he just knew. He was sure of how he felt and that this was the right time to tell her that.

Charlie paused for a moment before smiling brightly, all she knew was that in this moment she trusted him completely…and she felt exactly the same way.

"I love you too." She replied quietly as Peter leaned in her to kiss her.

**Next Chapter: A fight, a swing competition and an uncomfortable encounter…please R&R**


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note:

I sincerely apologize for not updating in so long. It has been an extremely difficult last year and

I wasn't in any condition to write for a long time. I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease (an autoimmune-thyroid condition basically making it extremely hyperthyroid.). I went through many treatments and it was finally put under control with a treatment called radio iodine. It has been a slow recovery from my year and this is why I haven't updated. Don't think I've lost interest though. I'm finishing the next chapter (which is pretty long in order to make up for not updating in so long). And it should be up in a few days. Thank you all for your continued support of "Slicked up to the nines" you make me want to continue writing no matter how much time has passed…hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Love, pannychan


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